Blind Prophet
The weather was cold and windy. Summer had passed, and autumn was beginning to make itself felt strongly. The blind prophet fell asleep in front of the fire he lit to warm himself. No sooner had he crossed the threshold of the dream realm than he plunged into the midst of a bloody attack. In his dream, the blind prophet saw stern-faced warriors coming from foreign lands. He awoke as the cries of the strangers encircling the hill, where the once magnificent Luwian city of Apaššas had stood and where the blind prophet still lived with the remnants of his people, echoed in his ears. When he opened his sightless eyes, he was in terror. Because he realized it was a prophetic dream. He immediately rose, woke those around him, and told them what he had seen. The people of the blind prophet, the Luwians, had been suffering from such searing troubles for so long that they did not heed the dream.
Uhhaziti, one of the strong warriors of the Luwians, glanced at the old woman whom everyone knew as the blind prophet and said, “It's just a dream,” he said. “You are now very tired and old. That is why you see evil in everything. Come, get back to sleep already and let us sleep too. Tomorrow, we will go to work in the fields. By evening, we will go hunting. Our main concern is to fill our stomachs. We no longer have a strong city and a king like before.” Everyone agreed with Uhhaziti. Although the blind prophet persistently said they should prepare for an impending war, she could not convince anyone and cursed her ability to see the future as she fell into deep thoughts beside the dying fire.
**
Setting out from Athens and crossing the sea, the Ionian tribe was advancing on the lands of Western Anatolia under the leadership of Androklos, the son of Athenian King Kodros. An Athenian prophet who came to Androklos said, “We can establish our new city nearby, my lord,” he said. “I received a divine sign. A wild boar will show us exactly where we should establish our city.” After nodding his approval, Androklos ordered his men to stop for a meal break. The Ionians, who had come from Athens, lit a fire and began to cook the fish they had just caught, but one of the fish jumped as if it were still alive and leaped into a nearby bush. Subsequently, a wild boar burst forth from the bush and began running toward a hill yonder. When the Athenian prophet saw that the divine message had manifested, he loudly told Androklos and the others to follow the wild boar...
With Androklos' approval, the warrior Ionians who had come from across the sea in search of a new homeland pursued the boar. It ran, and they followed. Until they reached the hill where the blind prophet and her people lived, where once stood the beautiful Luwian city of Apaššas... The hill, situated above the fertile plain, was suitable for establishing a beautiful, new city, but first, the local population needed to be disposed of. As the Ionians pierced the local people on the hill with their spears, Androklos’ prophet locked eyes with the blind prophet of the Luwians. The blind prophet of Anatolia could see and recognize the other not with her eyes, but with her heart. Then she slowly rose and began to walk slowly amidst the foreigners looting around her blood-soaked people lying on the ground. The marauders under Androklos' leadership somehow did not notice the blind prophet. Passing by the lifeless body of the Luwian warrior Uhhaziti, recently slain by Androklos, the blind prophet saw Uhhaziti with her mind's eye, who had not heeded her prophecy.
As the blind prophet of the Luwians jumped to her death from the hill, a few drops of tears from the eyes of the Athenian prophet mixed with the earth.
NOTE: According to legends, the city of Ephesus was founded by Androklos, guided by a wild boar. It is said that Androklos, the son of Athenian King Kodros, along with his Ionians, displaced the native people from the region and formed the nucleus of Ephesus.
Written by Archaeologist Özlem Ertan for the Ephesus Foundation.
The weather was cold and windy. Summer had passed, and autumn was beginning to make itself felt strongly. The blind prophet fell asleep in front of the fire he lit to warm himself. No sooner had he crossed the threshold of the dream realm than he plunged into the midst of a bloody attack. In his dream, the blind prophet saw stern-faced warriors coming from foreign lands. He awoke as the cries of the strangers encircling the hill, where the once magnificent Luwian city of Apaššas had stood and where the blind prophet still lived with the remnants of his people, echoed in his ears. When he opened his sightless eyes, he was in terror. Because he realized it was a prophetic dream. He immediately rose, woke those around him, and told them what he had seen. The people of the blind prophet, the Luwians, had been suffering from such searing troubles for so long that they did not heed the dream.
Uhhaziti, one of the strong warriors of the Luwians, glanced at the old woman whom everyone knew as the blind prophet and said, “It's just a dream,” he said. “You are now very tired and old. That is why you see evil in everything. Come, get back to sleep already and let us sleep too. Tomorrow, we will go to work in the fields. By evening, we will go hunting. Our main concern is to fill our stomachs. We no longer have a strong city and a king like before.” Everyone agreed with Uhhaziti. Although the blind prophet persistently said they should prepare for an impending war, she could not convince anyone and cursed her ability to see the future as she fell into deep thoughts beside the dying fire.
**
Setting out from Athens and crossing the sea, the Ionian tribe was advancing on the lands of Western Anatolia under the leadership of Androklos, the son of Athenian King Kodros. An Athenian prophet who came to Androklos said, “We can establish our new city nearby, my lord,” he said. “I received a divine sign. A wild boar will show us exactly where we should establish our city.” After nodding his approval, Androklos ordered his men to stop for a meal break. The Ionians, who had come from Athens, lit a fire and began to cook the fish they had just caught, but one of the fish jumped as if it were still alive and leaped into a nearby bush. Subsequently, a wild boar burst forth from the bush and began running toward a hill yonder. When the Athenian prophet saw that the divine message had manifested, he loudly told Androklos and the others to follow the wild boar...
With Androklos' approval, the warrior Ionians who had come from across the sea in search of a new homeland pursued the boar. It ran, and they followed. Until they reached the hill where the blind prophet and her people lived, where once stood the beautiful Luwian city of Apaššas... The hill, situated above the fertile plain, was suitable for establishing a beautiful, new city, but first, the local population needed to be disposed of. As the Ionians pierced the local people on the hill with their spears, Androklos’ prophet locked eyes with the blind prophet of the Luwians. The blind prophet of Anatolia could see and recognize the other not with her eyes, but with her heart. Then she slowly rose and began to walk slowly amidst the foreigners looting around her blood-soaked people lying on the ground. The marauders under Androklos' leadership somehow did not notice the blind prophet. Passing by the lifeless body of the Luwian warrior Uhhaziti, recently slain by Androklos, the blind prophet saw Uhhaziti with her mind's eye, who had not heeded her prophecy.
As the blind prophet of the Luwians jumped to her death from the hill, a few drops of tears from the eyes of the Athenian prophet mixed with the earth.
NOTE: According to legends, the city of Ephesus was founded by Androklos, guided by a wild boar. It is said that Androklos, the son of Athenian King Kodros, along with his Ionians, displaced the native people from the region and formed the nucleus of Ephesus.
Written by Archaeologist Özlem Ertan for the Ephesus Foundation.